'Agni' review: Pratik Gandhi-Divyenndu's film is sincere but uneven
What's the story
Rahul Dholakia's Agni, starring Pratik Gandhi and Divyenndu and streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is the kind of movie you want to root for consistently, but cannot.
While it deserves props for highlighting the exhausting, all-consuming work of firefighters (they exemplify unsung heroes), the writing is shaky and inconsistent, resulting in a middling film.
It's certainly watchable, but could have been a lot better.
Story
Two men, a mystery, and a city under threat
Gandhi, the protagonist, plays Vitthal, a dedicated, honest, upright man and the chief of the Parel Fire Station.
He is consistently at odds with his brother-in-law, police officer Samit (Divyenndu), who's richer and seemingly more successful and well-respected.
However, when Mumbai suddenly begins witnessing numerous cases of arson, Vitthal and Samit investigate the matter together, unraveling multiple conspiracies along the way.
#1
The performances don't miss
Starting with what works for Agni, the ensemble hands in committed performances, and having actors like Gandhi, Saiyami Kher, and Divyenndu ensures that the actors never overpower the storytelling.
Gandhi, unsurprisingly, is the best of the lot.
He represents the average man who feels underappreciated both at home and at work and yet trudges on because giving up is not an option.
#2
A sincere, heartfelt tribute to firefighters
Agni is pumped by its large beating heart, and humanizes its characters.
It works well as a tribute to firefighters, who rise, fall, and rise again, and keep going despite little recognition.
Gandhi vocalizes their searing ache when he asks his colleagues to keep their photos ready because any minute could be their last.
The job, thus, puts an expiry date on their lives.
#3
Represents the chaos that defines firefighters' lives
In one of the first scenes, Dholakia captures the increasing chaos and pandemonium-like situation that unfolds when a fire station receives a call.
Any call can be the firefighters' last, but no amount of blazing flames can douse their bravery and valiance.
Additionally, the scenes don't drag on forever and there's no melodramatic music, so the film isn't interested in manipulating your emotions.
#4
Struggles to make its situations believable
However, despite all these merits, Agni is quite uneven and struggles to keep you engaged.
A large part of the conflict is about Vitthal's son ignoring him and considering Samit his hero, but it comes across as extremely manufactured, unrealistic, and even unnecessary.
Samit and Vitthal's interactions, too, are limited, and we don't know as much about them as we should.
#5
Kher's character and writing issues
Kher's characterization is too loud and predictable, and her role is reminiscent of her character from Sharmajee Ki Beti.
Moreover, a film like this should be finished in a single sitting, but the constant dips in the narrative are such that your attention keeps wavering.
Subtlety is also not the film's strongest suit, so some elements really hit you in the face.
#6
The mystery is unable to draw us in
With regards to the central mystery in Agni, there's too much happening, and none of that is completely immersive.
The mystery is loosely woven, so the sense of urgency and tension (extremely important here) is sorely missing, and when the final, big reveal comes, it's totally unimpressive.
The culprit's identity doesn't take us by surprise, and the emotions are amiss.
Verdict
Watch only for Gandhi, skip it otherwise
Agni is not short of potential, but it doesn't exploit its strengths, ending up as a mediocre drama.
A better example in this genre is 9-1-1, constructed around first-responders' lives.
Eventually, despite Gandhi's committed performance, decent action, and a short runtime (2 hours), Agni goes up in flames due to its wobbly writing.
Gandhi's fan? Stream it. Skip it otherwise.
2.5/5 stars.